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Yes, you should bother - or
The Simplest Problem Fixes
category: hardware, software
I am often called on to solve the computer problems of friends, relatives, and various and sundry co-workers. It can be fun to come up with a solution to a weird problem, but I've had a rash of routine problems to solve, so routine that I hope to record them here and avoid having to repeat any of these answers ever again.
Rule One- before trying anything too complicated, reboot.
It's amazing how many problems can be solved this simply. Before trying anything even remotely fancy or complicated, just restart your system. It can correct lots of different problems, and it's totally simple.
Rule Two - defragment your hard drives regularly
The definition of regularly depends on what you do with your PC. If you record CDs and/or DVDs frequently, defragment after every few burns and definitely defragment after any marathon session. If you don't know what it means to defragment a hard drive, call a slightly techie friend and learn something you can do yourself.
Rule Three- Don't put EVERYTHING in the My Documents folder
Don't allow Microsoft to set your organizational pattern. Create some folders with intelligent names, put more folders within those folders, place documents within those folders, and you might actually find what you want. Putting everything in My Documents is like storing your CDs, socks, spatulas, and scrubbing brushes all together. A little organization makes everything easier.
She said on 08.09.05 @ 04:19 PM CST
